Melting Performance Enhancement of Latent Heat Thermal Energy Storage Unit by Changing the Angular Orientation
Thermal energy is very crucial, and Phase Change Materials (PCM) provide methods to store it. The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of changing the angle of the Latent Thermal Energy Storage Unit (LTESU) on the amount of time required to melt the PCM. Stearic acid (PCM) was enclos...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2024-09-01
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| Series: | Engineering Proceedings |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-4591/75/1/29 |
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| Summary: | Thermal energy is very crucial, and Phase Change Materials (PCM) provide methods to store it. The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of changing the angle of the Latent Thermal Energy Storage Unit (LTESU) on the amount of time required to melt the PCM. Stearic acid (PCM) was enclosed in a housing to subject it to thermal energy at different orientations. Changing the angle enhances the buoyancy force exerted on melted PCM as thermal energy is added, causing a difference in density. This density difference produces flow currents that circulate the melted PCM in the enclosure due to the hot PCM rising and surrounding the cold PCM that occupies the space left by the hot PCM. These currents are responsible for the distribution of thermal energy throughout the enclosure so that naturally turbulent flow will transfer more heat energy as compared to laminar flow. It was noted that the least amount of time needed to charge the stearic acid was at 60°. An improvement of 16.67% in terms of melting time was observed with respect to the reference case. |
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| ISSN: | 2673-4591 |